French frying apparatus



Dec. 21, 1948. BEMIS 2,456,810

FRENCH FRYING APPARATUS Filed D60. 25, 1946 Patented Dec. 21, 1948 UNITED STATES PATENT. OFFICE 6 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in the apparatus for producing French-fried or shoestring potatoes and introduces a new method of circulation which is of the pulsative type and directly cooperative with the containers to disperse the potato strips during the cooking period so that they will individually fry over their entire superficial surfaces to provide products which are uniformly cooked and of a relatively uniform color throughout. The method and apparatus also causes dispersion and elimination of the steam which is generated from the water contained on the surfaces and within the strips of potatoes and maintains fat at proper frying temperature in constant contact with the strips. Because of this specific circulating method the frying time for either French fried or shoe-string potatoes is reduced 40% over conventional methods and circulating systems, and the product is more uniform in texture, color and flavor.

With conventional methods of circulation most of the strips cling together throughout the cooking period and the areas where they cling will be white after the cooking is completed while those strips which are separate from the main mass or protrude therefrom will be deep brown and actually crisped. This type of French fried or shoe-string potato is completely eliminated by my new system, which assures uniformity in color and cooking since no potato strips can remain in contact with each other during the cooking period and the steam laden fat cannot become quiescent in the mass of strips.

In conventionally preparing French fried or shoe-string potatoes, the fresh potatoes are cut in strips and placed in cold water and allowed to remain there until cooking time when the potatoes are removed and drained, placed in a foraminous container and lowered into the hot fat, which is normally maintained at a suitable frying temperature.

When the potato strips are lowered into the hot fat, they carry a superficial film of water in addition to their water of combination, and through loss of this water in cooking the cooked product has only about 50% the weight of the fresh potatoes. I

All of this water is converted intosteam and is driven directly into the hot fat, cooling the fat 2 and increasing the cooking time and preventing uniform cooking throughout the mass of strips.

When the container or basket is lowered into the hot fat, the surface Water is first converted into steam which cools the fat below the frying temperature so that the potatoes in the center of the mass are merely steamed and therefore remain white, while those on the outer fringes of the mass may start frying almost immediately. After the surface moisture has been evaporated, the water starts cooking out of the potatoes and thus continues to maintain the surrounding fat at too low a temperature to permit frying to take place. Thus the potatoes in the center of the mass and those which adhere closely are merely steamed while the others which are free of each other or protruding from the mass may have been frying almost continuously, resulting in a mirture of steamed and fried potatoes.

With my system this cannot occur as the strips are agitated and dispersed continuously and the fat is simultaneously continuously circulated by a pulsatingand multiple direction circulating system which drives the steam laden fat from the immediate vicinity of the strips to allow the high temperature fat to continuously fry the potatoes.

As is well known, thermal circulation of fats is negligible and therefore positive circulation is essential. Continuous uninterrupted circulation such as is created by centrifugal or gear pumps is entirely unsatisfactory, because they merely cause the potato strips to cling together more closely at one end of the container and have no separating or dispersing efiect. My system uses pulsating circulation which causes the strips to separate and spread all around the interior of the basket.

The objects and advantages of the invention are as follows:

First, to provide a French fryer with a fat circulating means which will agitate, disperse, and keep separated the individual strips of potatoes during the frying operation.

Second, to provide a method of French frying in which steam generated during the frying operation is rapidly eliminated through impulse circulation of fat Within the container for the potatoes.

Third, to provide apparatus for French frying in which circulation is initiated through the container for the potatoes so as to maintain a normal cooking temperature within the mass of potato strips, and in which said circulation is of the impulse type to cause dispersement of the mass.

Fourth, to provide apparatus as outlined with surrounding heating means extending throughout the major portion of the depth of the body of fat so as to heat through conduction because of negligible thermal circulation of fats.

Fifth, to provide apparatus as outlined which is simple in construction and arrangement and convenient to use.

In describing the invention reference will be made to the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a sectional top plan view taken on line li of Fig. 2: r W i Fig. 2 is a side sectional elevation takenon line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a section taken on line 33 of Fig. 2

The invention is related to my application Serial No. 717,877, filed December 23, 1946, for French fryer, and includes a housing in having a front wall H, rear Wall l2, and side Walls 13 and i4 and a top l5, and formed therein is the container 16 for the cooking fat I1, this con": tainer being flared in the upper portion as indicated at [8 to minimize variations in the level of the fat, and is provided with a sump i9 and drain 26' at its lower end. A rectangular spiral heating unit 2! issupported within the container and extehds throughout the major portion of the depth of the It will be noted that the front and rear walls of the housing simultaneously fuiictionas the front and rear walls of the con tamer.- Suitable thermostatic controlmeans 22 is provided for regulating the temperature ofthe fat, the installation and operation of which; being w'el'l known in the art, reguires no descriptien.

emoves-1y supported in the upper end of the container is the operating apparatus which; in cludes' a cover member 23 the periphery of which is bent down as indicated at 2'4 and'25 withth lower edges of the depending portions 24 and 25 resting on shelves 2'6 forr'n'ediri the side walls of the container. Three walls 21,-

and 29 are supported at their upper ends by theco ver memheraridextend ownwardly to levels below the level I! to providetwocoinpartments and chainnels or cireul'ationof the hot fat, the cover member bifig open between these walls for passage of the baskets.

Alfsb supported by the cover member is a paddle wheel consistingof ashaf-t 30 carrying a pair of blades 31' and 32 which eiitend throughout the Width of the" two compartments formed between the center Wall 29 and the two Sid Walls 2 and 28, and this" paddle wheel is driven through bevel gears 33 by a drive shaft 3 lwhich in turn is driven at an appropriate spee by a suitable motor and reduction gearing,- not shown. This paddle wheel is preferable to a reciprocating pump or the like because it deliv'rs th fat uriirerh ny over the entire width of the basket compartments 35 and 35 instead of at some or certain points as would be the case with any type of distributor used in connection with a pump. It will be understood that any type or pump which servers under uniform and continuous fiowwduld not be satisfactory as a uniforrri flow would merely mass the potato strips and thus aggravate" the situation. A pulsating current is absolutely s litial for best results. I v p The cover member 23 has two openir'igs 3i and. 38 equal in area to the spaces between the" easier; or walls 21*2-5 and 23*28 and between thebl'ofckmg screens 39 arid- 5% and the baskets n and 42 are supported within these compartments by suitable timed operating means, not shown, but fully disclosed in the related application previously mentioned, and the baskets completely close these openings so that no potato strips can entertbe fat receptacle eXteriorly of the baskets.

In operation, the baskets are initially in a raised position. After the receptacle I6 has been supplied with a suitable fat or oil, the heating units 2! are energized and the fat is brought up to the proper temperature governed by the thermostat 22. The paddle wheel is then set in operation.

The drained potato strips are placed in one of the baskets and the basket lowered to the position' indicated in Fig. 2. As soon as the potatoes enter the hot fat, steam is generated and consequently under normal processes the steam actually does the cooking within the mass, but in this ease-the paddles or blades 3! and 32 drive the hot fat through the basket from the rear then Withdraws some, as indicated by the arrows 43 in impulses which causes agitation within the basket to d-isperse the strips so that they all float freely in the fat and are subjected over the entire superficial areas to the hot grease, withthe grease which has b'eh cooled by the vaporiziation of the water being dispatched through theirorit end of the basket as indicated by the arrows 44, the fat thii circulating about the outer bafiies as indicated at 4'5 and also downwardly, while the pad; dls" e": and 32 crew upward from the heating units" for their supply as indicated by thearrow 5, deliverin the hottest fat to the baskets,- and on the do'w'ri'strok'e driving and drawing fat direny in contact with the heating units as indicat'eui by the arrow 4'7. Thus a very effective agition s set up in the fat, ific'liid'i-iig a Iiftihgpr drawing action to draw the Hot grease from the heating units as the blade move's through the rear quadrant or itscirpuit, thence a forward push into aridthrhugh the basket as the blade moves through the top diiadr'a'rit and followed by a push downward draw back through the" basket and over the top of the paddle wheel through the refward quadra'fitand a ackwar push and draw thrdtighth'e under quadrant of the" circuit to the heating means. Thus the fat is in constant agitatior'i' aking undersui fac'e' of the basket and V reciprocal within the basket, resulting" in ecfist'a 't' agitation and dispersion of the potato strips con ducted such manner as to continuously keep the s-trips' 'e posed to fat at frying temperat th" rateoore'ubyevapqratiohor the water -ry replaced 153" hot fat.

frying apparatus comprising? a re: test-acre for fatand heat ng means and con-- trol means therefor for heating the fat toa' try: his temperature: iorai-niiious containers for the material to he cooker? and combined (ii-resisting mean anupulsating mean direct cooperative relation with the iorahiiheus containers the containers are" lowered into thefat for latiilg'airid pulsating the fat Within th chnta for dispersing the individual portions of materials to be fried and maintaining them in a dispersed condition for continuous frying of the superficial surfacesgof; the respective portions said apps: ratus including two of said forami-nous: containers and a compartment for each container, said com: partinents having a-cornmon center wall eachhaving a. side wall and being open at the forwardand rearward ends and on the bottom, and with said c'driibined'cir'c'ulati'ng and pulsatingmeanslocated in closely spaced and clearing relation to one of said ends, with the hot fat circulatory path being defined through each container forwardly through the front and bottom and thence about the side walls of the respective compartments.

2. Deep-fat frying apparatus comprising: a receptacle for the fat and heating means and control means therefor for heating the fat to a frying temperature; foraminous containers for the material to be cooked; and combined circulating means and pulsating means in direct cooperative relation with the foraminous containers when the containers are lowered into the fat for circulating and pulsating the fat within the containers for dispersing the individual portions of materials to be fried and maintaining them in a dispersed condition for continuous frying of the superficial surfaces of the respective portions; said apparatus including two of said foraminous containers and a compartment for each container, said compartments having a common center wall and each having a side wall and being open at the forward and rearward ends and on the bottom, and with said combined circulating and pulsating means located in closely spaced and clearing relation to one of said ends, with the hot fat circulatory path being defined through each container for wardly through the front and bottom and thence about the side walls of the respective compartments; said heating means comprising a rectangular spiral heating unit extending throughout not less than half the depth of the fat and surrounding said compartments.

3. Deep-fat frying apparatus comprising: a receptacle for the fat and heating means and control means therefor for heating the fat to a frying temperature; foraminous containers for the material to be cooked; and combined circulating means and pulsating means in direct cooperative relation with the foraminous containers when the containers are lowered into the fat for circulating and pulsating the fat within the containers for dispersing the individual portions of materials to be fried and maintaining them in a dispersed condition for continuous frying of the superficial surfaces of the respective portions; said combined circulating and pulsating means comprising a paddle wheel having a length equal to one horizontal dimension of the containers and having its axis parallel thereto and having blades in clearing relation to the walls of the containers with each blade operating to draw hot fat through one quadrant of its circuit,p-roject the hot fat into and through the container through the second quadrant and partially withdraw fat from the container in its third quadrant and project fat for reheatin in the fourth quadrant of its circuit, and driving means for said paddle wheel.

4. Deep-fat frying apparatus comprising; a receptacle for the fat and heating means and control means therefor for heating the fat to a frying temperature; foraminous containers for the material to be cooked; and combined circulating means and pulsating means in direct cooperative relation with the foraminous containers when the containers are lowered int-o the fat for circulating and pulsating the fat within the containers for dispersing the individual portions of materials to be fried and maintaining them in a dispersed condition for continuous frying of the superficial surfaces of the respective portions; said apparatus including two of said foraminous containers and a compartment for each container, said compartments having a common center wall and each having a side wall and being open at the forward and rearward ends and on the bot tom, and with said combined circulating and pulsating means located in closely spaced and clearing relation to one of said ends, with the hot fat circulatory path being defined through each container forwardly through the front and bottom and thence about the side walls of the respective compartments; said combined circulating and pulsating means comprising a paddlewheel having a length equal to one horizontal dimension of the containers and having its axis parallel thereto and having blades in clearing relation to the walls of the containers with each blade operating to draw hot fat through one quadrant of its circuit, project the hot fat into and through the container through the second quadrant and partially withdraw fat from the container in its third quadrant and project fat for reheating in the fourth quadrant of its circuit, and driving means for said paddle wheel.

5. Deep-fat frying apparatus comprising; a receptacle for the fat and heating means and control means therefor for heating the fat to a frying temperature; foraminous containers for the material to be cooked; and combined circulating means and pulsating means in direct cooperative relation with the foraminous containers when the containers are lowered into the fat for circulating and pulsating the fat within the containers for dispersing the individual portions of materials to be fried and maintaining them in a dispersed condition for continuous frying of the superficial surfaces of the respective portions; said apparatus including two of said foraminous containers and a compartment for each container, said compartments having a common center wall and each having a side wall and being open at the forward and rearward ends and on the bottom, and with said combined circulating and pulsating means located in closely spaced and clearing relation to one of said ends, with the hot fat circulatory path being defined through each container forwardly through the front and bottom and thence about the side walls of the respective compartments; said heating means comprising a rectangular spiral heating unit extending throughout not less than half the depth of the fat and surrounding said compartments; said combined circulating and pulsating means comprising a paddle wheel having a length equal to one horizontal dimension of the containers and having its axis parallel thereto and having blades in clearing relation to the walls of the containers with each blade operating to draw hot fat through one quadrant of its circuit, project the hot fat into and through the container through the second quadrant and partially withdraw fat from the container in its third quadrant and project fat for reheating in the fourth quadrant of its circult, and driving means for said paddle wheel.

6. French frying apparatus comprising; a receptacle for fat and having two compartments having a common center wall and each having a side wall and being open at the front and rear and bottom, and a foraminous container removably supportable in each compartment, and a heating unit surrounding said compartments to uniformly heat fat in the receptacle; pulsative circulating means located in close cooperation and clearing relation with one end of said compartments and including driving means therefor for circulating fat through said compartments and simultaneously pulsating the fat for dispersing potato strips in a container for continuous frying of the portions throughout their super- 

